• DATES:
• ADDRESSES:
• Examining the AD Docket
• FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
• SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
• Comments Invited
• Discussion
• Relevant Service Information
• FAA’s Determination and Requirements of the Proposed AD
• Costs of Compliance
• Authority for This Rulemaking
• Regulatory Findings
• List of Subjects in 14 CFR Part 39
• The Proposed Amendment
• PART 39—AIRWORTHINESS DIRECTIVES
• (a) Comments Due Date
• (b) Affected ADs
• (c) Applicability
• (d) Subject
• (e) Reason
• (f) Actions and Compliance
• (g) Other FAA AD Provisions
• (h) Special Flight Permit
• (i) Related Information

We must receive comments on this proposed AD by October 2, 2014.

You may send comments by any of the following methods:

• Federal eRulemaking Portal: Go to http://www.regulations.gov. Follow the instructions for submitting comments.
• Fax: (202) 493-2251.
• Mail: U.S. Department of Transportation, Docket Operations, M-30, West Building Ground Floor, Room W12-140, 1200 New Jersey Avenue SE., Washington, DC 20590.
• Hand Delivery: U.S. Department of Transportation, Docket Operations, M-30, West Building Ground Floor, Room W12-140, 1200 New Jersey Avenue SE., Washington, DC 20590, between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m., Monday through Friday, except Federal holidays.

For service information identified in this proposed AD, contact Pilatus Aircraft LTD., Customer Service Manager, CH-6371 STANS, Switzerland; telephone: +41 (0) 41 619 33 33; fax: +41 (0) 41 619 73 11; Internet: http://www.pilatus-aircraft.com or email: SupportPC12@pilatus-aircraft.com. You may review copies of the referenced service information at the FAA, Small Airplane Directorate, 901 Locust, Kansas City, Missouri 64106. For information on the availability of this material at the FAA, call (816) 329-4148.

You may examine the AD docket on the Internet at http://www.regulations.gov by searching for and locating Docket No. FAA-2014-0594; or in person at the Docket Management Facility between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m., Monday through Friday, except Federal holidays. The AD docket contains this proposed AD, the regulatory evaluation, any comments received, and other information. The street address for the Docket Office (telephone (800) 647-5527) is in the ADDRESSES section. Comments will be available in the AD docket shortly after receipt.

Doug Rudolph, Aerospace Engineer, FAA, Small Airplane Directorate, 901 Locust, Room 301, Kansas City, Missouri 64106; telephone: (816) 329-4059; fax: (816) 329-4090; email: doug.rudolph@faa.gov.

We invite you to send any written relevant data, views, or arguments about this proposed AD. Send your comments to an address listed under the ADDRESSES section. Include “Docket No. FAA-2014-0594; Directorate Identifier 2014-CE-022-AD” at the beginning of your comments. We specifically invite comments on the overall regulatory, economic, environmental, and energy aspects of this proposed AD. We will consider all comments received by the closing date and may amend this proposed AD because of those comments.

We will post all comments we receive, without change, to http://regulations.gov, including any personal information you provide. We will also post a report summarizing each substantive verbal contact we receive about this proposed AD.

On February 8, 2013, we issued AD 2012-26-16, Amendment 39-17311 (78 FR 11572, February 19, 2013). That AD required actions intended to address an unsafe condition on all Pilatus Aircraft LTD. Models PC-12, PC-12/45, PC-12/47, and PC-12/47E airplanes and was based on mandatory continuing airworthiness information (MCAI) originated by an aviation authority of another country.

Since we issued AD 2012-26-16, Amendment 39-17311 (78 FR 11572, February 19, 2013), Pilatus Aircraft LTD. has issued revisions to the Limitations section of the airplane maintenance manual to include repetitive inspections of the inboard flap drive arms for cracks.

The European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA), which is the Technical Agent for the Member States of the European Community, has issued AD No. 2014-0170, dated July 17, 2014 (referred to after this as “the MCAI”), to correct an unsafe condition for the specified products. The MCAI states:

You may examine the MCAI on the Internet at http://www.regulations.gov by searching for and locating Docket No. FAA-2014-0594.

Pilatus Aircraft LTD. has issued Structural, Component and Miscellaneous—Airworthiness Limitations, document 12-A-04-00-00-00A-000A-A, dated March 13, 2014, and Structural and Component Limitations—Airworthiness Limitations, document 12-B-04-00-00-00A-000A-A, dated March 13, 2014. The actions described in this service information are intended to correct the unsafe condition identified in the MCAI.

This product has been approved by the aviation authority of another country, and is approved for operation in the United States. Pursuant to our bilateral agreement with this State of Design Authority, they have notified us of the unsafe condition described in the MCAI and service information referenced above. We are proposing this AD because we evaluated all information and determined the unsafe condition exists and is likely to exist or develop on other products of the same type design.

We estimate that this AD will affect 770 products of U.S. registry. We also estimate that it would take about 16.5 work-hours per product to comply with the basic requirements of this proposed AD. The average labor rate is $85 per work-hour. Required parts would cost about $300 per product. Based on these figures, we estimate the cost of this proposed AD on U.S. operators to be $1,310,925, or $1,702.50 per product. This breaks down as follows:

• New inspections, etc. through incorporating maintenance manual limitations: 3.5 work-hours with parts about $300 for a fleet cost of $460,075, or $597.50 per product.
• Wing main spar fastener holes inspection: 12 work-hours with no parts cost for fleet cost of $785,400 or $1,020 per product.
• Inboard flap drive arm inspection: 1 work-hour with no parts cost for fleet cost of $65,450 or $85 per product.

In addition, we estimate that any necessary corrective actions (on-condition costs) that must be taken based on the above inspections, etc. would take about 16 work-hours and require parts costing approximately $10,000 for a cost of $11,360 per product. We have no way of determining the number of products that may need these necessary corrective actions. This breaks down as follows:

• Replacements based on damaged parts or reduced life limits as a result of the new maintenance manual limitations: 6 work-hours with parts about $4,000 for a cost of $4,510 per product.
• Repairs to the wing spar as a result of the wing main spar fastener holes inspection: 7 work-hours with parts about $5,000 for a cost of $5,595 per product.
• Replacement of the inboard flap drive arm as a result of the inboard flap drive arm inspection: 3 work-hours with parts about $1,000 for a cost of $1,255.

The only costs that would be imposed by this proposed AD over that already required by AD 2012-26-16 is the inboard flap arm inspection and replacement as necessary and the addition of 92 airplanes from 678 airplanes to 770 airplanes.

Title 49 of the United States Code specifies the FAA’s authority to issue rules on aviation safety. Subtitle I, section 106, describes the authority of the FAA Administrator. “Subtitle VII: Aviation Programs,” describes in more detail the scope of the Agency’s authority.

We are issuing this rulemaking under the authority described in “Subtitle VII, Part A, Subpart III, section 44701: General requirements.” Under that section, Congress charges the FAA with promoting safe flight of civil aircraft in air commerce by prescribing regulations for practices, methods, and procedures the Administrator finds necessary for safety in air commerce. This proposed regulation is within the scope of that authority because it addresses an unsafe condition that is likely to exist or develop on products identified in this rulemaking action.

We determined that this proposed AD would not have federalism implications under Executive Order 13132. This proposed AD would not have a substantial direct effect on the States, on the relationship between the national Government and the States, or on the distribution of power and responsibilities among the various levels of government.

For the reasons discussed above, I certify this proposed regulation:

(1) Is not a “significant regulatory action” under Executive Order 12866,

(2) Is not a “significant rule” under the DOT Regulatory Policies and Procedures (44 FR 11034, February 26, 1979),

(3) Will not affect intrastate aviation in Alaska, and

(4) Will not have a significant economic impact, positive or negative, on a substantial number of small entities under the criteria of the Regulatory Flexibility Act.

Accordingly, under the authority delegated to me by the Administrator, the FAA proposes to amend 14 CFR part 39 as follows:

[FR Doc. 2014-19490 Filed 8-15-14; 8:45 am]

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